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a 21 '^ !• li IE 

FROM 
/ 

JAMES BOYLE, 

7 

TO 

WM. LLOYD GARRISON, 

V 

RESPECTING THE 

CLERICAL APPEAL, SECTARIANISM, 
TRUE HOLINESS, &c. 

ALSO, 

LINES ON CHRISTIAN REST, 

BY MR. GARRISON. 



BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED BY ISAAC KNAPP, 

At 25, Cornhill. 

1838. 






o.Tn. 



PREFACE. 



In giving publicity to the following letter, (which has 
been addressed to me by one with whom I have no per- 
sonal acquaintance, and of whose history I am compar- 
atively ignorant,) I anticipate no little ' agitation ' 
among those who are perversely wedded to the various 
religious sects, and the bestowal upon my head of no 
small amount of opprobrium as a ' heretic' For what- 
ever consequences may arise from its publication, I am 
fully prepared. It is a letter, which, bearing as I think 
it does the divine impress, and being impregnated with 
the spirit of truth, I dare not suppress. It is ' of heaven, 
not of men.' It utters momentous truths in startling 
language. It is a testimony for God which cannot be 
overthrown, though it may be misapprehended, misrep- 
resented, or ridiculed by those who read it. That there 
are thousands of enfranchised souls, who will hail its 
appearance with joy, I have no doubt • nor is it less cer- 
tain that a still greater number will be found, in whom 
it will excite sectarian animosity, and a pharisaical and 
persecuting spirit. Whoever has ' ceased from man,' 
and emancipated himself from the thraldom of carnal 
ordinances and proscriptive creeds, and reahzedwhat it 
is to be a freeman in the Lord, will be greatly refreshed 
by its perusal. 

I publish it on my own responsibility — not as an ab- 
olitionist, but as a Christian. For the sentiments it 
1* 



iv 



contains, the anti-slavery cause is not, directly or indi- 
rectly^ responsible. The individual who shall quote it 
to the disparagement of that sacred enterprise, or who 
shall imphcate any abolitionist but myself for its ap- 
pearance, will manifest that he has no regard for truth, 
but is a wilful deceiver. Doubtless, some even in the 
anti-slavery ranks will be offended, because I exercise 
this freedom — and because, as they may plausibly con- 
tend, I shall thereby injure the abolition cause. My 
first reply is, that, in pleading for universal liberty, I 
cannot consent to be bound ; and I ask, why am I obli- 
gated to suppress my views on all subjects except the 
abolition of slavery, any more than a Methodist aboli- 
tion brother is bound to be silent respecting Methodism, 
or a Baptist respecting the doctrine of baptism ? I en- 
ter my solemn protest against the absurd conclusion, 
that, inasmuch as my attention and labors have been 
specially directed to the overthrow of slavery, therefore 
I have vacated my right to avow my sentiments on oth- 
er subjects ; and that, whenever these sentiments are 
uttered, they are only an exposition of the creed of abo- 
litionists. 

My second reply is, that my anxiety for the emanci- 
pation of my enslaved countrymen is continual, ear- 
nest, intense ; but it is not, it ought not to be, so strong 
as to make me both blind and dumb to all other abuses 
and impositions. In assailing spiritual despotism, no 
injury to the natural rights of man must necessarily 
follow. Were it not that American slavery is upheld 
and sanctioned by the American church, that vast sys- 
tem of pollution and blood would cease to exist. How, 
then, can it be urged, that by exposing the abominations 
which take shelter in the very bosom of the church, we 
shall retard the progress of the anti-slaveiy cause ? 



The multiplication of societies, within the last twenty 
years, for the overthrow of specific evils which have at- 
tained a gigantic growth, is equally instructive and ad- 
monitory. As my brother Boyle forcibly remarks, 
' They are not the revelation of the Lord from heaven,' 
but only pioneers in the cause of holiness. They have 
served to reveal the deep corruption of the various reli- 
gious sects, the worthlessness of creeds, and the hideous 
deformity of the religion which obtains among us — a 
religion which allows the military chieftain to pursue 
his murderous vocation, and the slaveholder to make 
merchandize of souls, and winks at a host of practices 
utterly inconsistent with the spirit, the example, and 
the precepts of Jesus. 

As allusion is made in the following letter to my sen- 
timents respecting the Sabbath, — sentiments which 
have been grossly misrepresented, or strangely misun- 
derstood, by many — I make the follovving extracts from 
my review of a speech delivered by Dr. Beecher at 
Pittsburgh, in vindication of the holiness of the first 
day of the week : 

^ Dr. Beecher asserts that 'the Sabbath is the great 
sun of the moral world . . . the cord by which heaven 
holds up nations from the yawning gulf of corruption 
and ruin.' The language of the Psalmist is — ' The 
LORD GOD is a sun'—' The LORD is my light and 
my salvation.' The apostle John says — ' In him 
(CHRIST) was life ; and the life was the light of men. 
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that 
Cometh into the world.' If every thing that is valuable 
or sacred depends upon the religious observance of one 
day in seven, is it not a marvel that our Saviour never 
hinted at such a fact ? Neither does JMatthew, Mark, 
Luke, John, Peter, Paul, nor any of the evangelists or 



VI 



apostles ; not one injunction do they give on the subjeci : 
On the contrary, Paul, the great expounder of christian 
doctrines and duties, expressly tells the Colossians — 
' Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, 
or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the 
Sabbath — which are [were] a shadorv of things to come ; 
but THE BODY IS OF Christ.' To ihc Romaus, he says — 
' One man esteemeth one day above another : another 
esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully 
persuaded in his own mind . . . But why dost thou 
judge thy brother? . . . For the kingdom of God is not 
meat and drink, [i. e. not the observance of any out- 
ward form or ceremony,] but righteousness, and peace, 
and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things 
serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men? 
Again — ' If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.' 
"When ? Now — to-day — always — as truly obedient and 
acceptable on Saturday as on Sunday. 

Tn this matter we fear that the spirituality of the gos- 
pel is not clearly discerned, in all its length and breadth, 
its height and depth. ' Then, verily, the first covenant 
had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly 
sanctuary.' Now they are swept away — ' for if the first 
covenant had been faultless, then should no place have 
been sought for the second' — and the command to the 
Jews, ' Ye shall reverence my sanctuary,' is no longer 
obligatory upon any portion of mankind, in regard to 
any building made with hands. ' Jesus saith unto her, 
Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall 
neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship 
the Father.' Among the Jews was a high priest, who 
went into the second tabernacle alone, once every year, 
not without blood, which he oflfered for himself, and for 
the errors of the people : the Holy Ghost this signifying, 



llmt the way into the holiest of all was not yet made 
manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing :' 
which was a figure for the time then present,' &;c. 
But now, ' after the similitude of Melchisedec, there 
ariseth another priest, who is made, not after the law 
of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an 
endless life — who is set on the right hand of the throne 
of Majesty in the heavens ; a minister of the sanctuary, 
and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and 
not man.' Let men consecrate to the service of Jeho- 
vah, not merely one day in seven, but all their time, 
thoughts, actions, and powers. Now, too generally, 
their piety is marked by spasmodic action once a week, 
though they find it irksome even to secure that action 
uniformly. They have not entered into spiritual rest — 
they are still carnal. 'For we which have believed,' 
says the apostle, ' no enter into rest J 

While, under the first covenant, there were ordinances 
of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary, and an ark 
of the covenant, and a chosen priesthood, it is evident 
that the Sabbath was essentially important, without 
which, all the rites and ceremonies of an outward wor- 
ship (then indispensable and obligatory) could not have 
been perpetuated. But 'the priesthood, as such, has 
long since been extinct — the ark has vanished — the 
sanctuary is demolished — the handwriting of ordinances 
is nailed to the cross — and the purely spiritual reign of 
Christ has been ushefed in, to the abolishment of every 
type and shadow. Nor is it less certain, thai the insti- 
tution of the Sabbath had special relation to the deliv. 
erance of the Israelites from Egypt, and to their situa- 
tion as the chosen people of God. ' See, for that the 
Lord hath given you [the Israelites] the Sabbath, [a 
special favor evidently, and this was before the Deca- 



Viil 



logue was written,] — therefore he giveth you on the sixth 
day the bread of tavo days : abide every man in his place, 
let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So 
the people rested on the seventh day' — evidently an ex- 
traordinary observance. [See Exodus, ch. 16.] Again 
•— ' Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh 
day thou shalt rest : [why ?] that thine ox and thine ass 
may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger 
may be refreshed.'— [Ex. ch. 23;] Again—' And the 
Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak thou also unto 
the children Of Israel, saying, verily my Sabbaths ye 
shall keep : [why ? ] for it is a SIGN between me arid 
you [not all flesh] throughout your generations, [i.e. till 
the Messiah come ;] that ye may know that I am the 
Lord that doth sanctify you. Wherefore, the children 
OF Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath 
throughout their generations, [mairk!] for a perpetual 
tovenant — [i. e. Until the introduction of the new cove.^ 
nant.] It is a SIGN between me and the children of Jsra- 
d forever.'' — [Ex. ch. 31.] Again — ' The Lord made a 
covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this 
tovenant rvith our fathers, but with us, even us, who are 
all of us here alive this day. The Lord talked with 
you face to face in the mount, out of the midst of the 
lire . . . Thou shalt have none other gods before me,' 
fee. Here follow the ten commandlnents ; at the close 
of the fourth is this explanatory reason for its observ* 
ance — ' And remember that thou wast a servant in the 
land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee 
out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched- 
out arm: therefore [for this identical purpose] the 
Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day;' 
[Deuteronomy, ch. 5.] 



' Tell me/ says Paul, ' yc that desire to be under the 
law, do ye not hear the law?' 'Six days shalt 
thou labor, and do all thy work ; but the seventh day is 
the sabbath,' &c. Yet, without any hesitancy, Christ- 
ians disregard that command, as no longer binding up- 
on them, — at the same time, mirahle dictu ! that they 
appeal to that command as of universal obligation ! 
The day which God set apart and sanctified, they habit- 
ually violate ; and they attempt to make holy a day, 
the observance of which is not enjoined, either by God 
or Christ, either by the apostles or primitive church ! 
Nay, if we should religiously observe the seventh in- 
stead of the first day of the week, they would deem as 
worthy of censure, and of ecclesiastical discipline— and 
yet they say, we must obey the fourth commandment r 
If it be said in reply, that we err in this matter— that 
they would not condemn us for keeping the seventh day 
—and that it is immaterial what day of the week we- 
observe, provided we set apart a seventh portion of our 
time for religious worship :— then, we retort, and say,- 
that such a license is not to be found in the fourth com- 
mandment, but it is substituting man's appointment for 
God's, human authority for divine— and we ask, more- 
over, if the first day of the week be not truly and vitrin- 
skalhj a holt/ day, how dare any religious body to pun- 
ish its members, either by expulsion or censure, for not 
regarding it as more sacred than Monday, or Wednes- 
day, or Friday ? For either the day is holy, or it is 7iot: 
if it be, then a violation of it is sinful, and no other dajr 
can be substituted in its place— if it be not, then not to 
observe it in a particular manner cannot be sinful ; and 
nothing but bigotry, or superstition, or will-worship, or 
Pharisaical conformity, or priestly craft, will call for the 
iniliction- of pains and penalties upon those, who, in ac- 



cordance with the liberty granted by ihe apostle, ' esteem 
every day alike.' 

Most certainly, no man, who has not consecrated all 
his time to the service of God, has ever consecrated a 
seventh part of it , and no man, who reverently regards 
all days as holy unto the Lord, will desecrate either the 
first or seventh day of the week. 

How lamentable is the truth conveyed in the follow- 
mg extract from Thomas Erskine's Essay on Faith :— 
♦ Men are apt to think, that religion is just one of the 
many duties of life, and that it ought to have its own 
time and its own place like the others— and they set 
apart for it churches, and Sundays, and certain other 
occasions— and having done so much for it, they seem 
to consider it an intruder, if it appears out of these lim- 
its. Thus we know, that although the authority of 
God and the inspiration of the Bible are nominally ac- 
knowledged in this country, yet any one who, in the 
great deliberative assemblies of the nation, for instance, 
should quote the Bible as a reason for giving his vote 
one way or another, would be generally regarded either 
as a fanatic or a hypocrite. The introduction of such a 
book, or such an authority, would be considered almost 
as great an impropriety, as the introduction of a band 
of music. Now, religion is not just one of the many 
duties of life ; it is itself a life ; it is the taking a man 
off from his own root, and grafting him on God, as the 
new root of all his thoughts, and desires, and doings. 
And as the sap of the root circulates through every 
branch, and twig, and leaf of the tree-so the love of 
God, which is the sap of this new spiritual root, ought 
to circulate through every thought, and desire, and ac 
tion of the man. * * * The same men 
who would scout the mention of the Bible in one place 



XI 



would have no objection to it in ariothei' 5 they go fc? 
church, and even to Bible and Missionary Societies^ 
perhaps. All that they insist on is, that religion should 
keep its own place. They know it only as a decency j 
they do not know it as the great truth, — the paramount 
relation of their being,— -as that which, according as it 
is present or absent, determines the character of every 
thought, wordj and action, to be either right or wrong 
essentially.' 

For myselfj I know that it is ' my meat and drink to 
do the will of my heavenly Father.' My joy is, that I 
am a partaker of Christ's sufferings 5 my happiness is, 
to be reproached for the name of Christ j my life is, to 
be always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake ; my 
reputation is, to be ranked among madmen, fanatics, 
and incendiaries ; my pleasure is, in infirmities, in re- 
proaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, 
for Christ's sake. The things of this world— its pur- 
suits, its honors, its emulatioQS, its fortunes, its reputa- 
tions — I tread under my feet. The overthrow of Sa* 
tan's empire, and the triumphant establishment of the 
Kedeemer's kingdom on earth, are what I earnestly de* 
sire and seek. Believing, therefore, that the following 
solemn and thrilling Letter will be instrumental in ad- 
vancing the cause of true holiness, I give it publicity, 
commending it to the serious consideration of every 

WM. LLOYD GARRISON. 
Boston, March 24, 1838.- 



LETTER. 



Rome, Ashtabula Co. Ohio, 
Dearly beloved Garrison : 

From the commencement of my acquaintance 
with the Liberator, I have esteemed you as a 
brother ; and as that acquaintance has ad- 
vanced, my confidence in you, as one guided by 
wisdom from above, has extended proportiona- 
bly. ' Love is strong as death — many waters 
cannot quench love, neither can floods drown 
it : if a man would give all the substance of his 
house for love, it would utterly be contemned.' 
Such is the affection, my brother, which I cher- 
ish toward you, and the noble object which you 
are engaged in promoting. 

For your fearless, faithful attack of that mass 
of atrocious abominations, slavery — your bold 
act of unmasking that treacherous wolf in 
sheep's clothing, the Colonization Society — 
your advocacy of Christ-like principles of peace 



2 

— the independent expression of your sentiments 
respecting human governments — a pagan orig- 
inated sabbath, (SuN's-day,) 'the main pil- 
lar,' not ' of Christianity,' but of the power and 
t\'^ranny of a rotten priesthood — your wise re- 
fusal to receive the mark of the Beast, either in 
your forehead or in your right hand, by practi- 
cally sanctioning the irreligious sects which 
corrupt and curse the world — your merited de- 
nunciations of these sects — of their sordid, 
dough-faced, popish leaders — but, above all, for 
your Christ-exalting poetry, ' Christian Rest' 
— (poetry only in its literary form, not in its di- 
vinely originated, ever-living sentimeiits — sen- 
timents which constitute the very quintessence 
of Christianity — which will yet, I trust, by the 
power of God, deliver this world from political 
and ecclesiastical delusion, usurpation and op- 
pression — from the lust of gain, of power, of 
pre-eminence — from the dominion of sin, of Sa- 
tan, of SELF — which will transform this unhap- 
py world into a paradise, a tabernacle of God, a 
spiritual house, a holy temple, in which spirit- 
ual sacrifices will be continually offered, accep- 
table to God through Jesus Christ) — for ail 
these things, and many others, dearly beloved, 
you are in my heart to live and to die with you. 
To God I give the glory of raising you up to 
fulfil, through you and your uncompromising 



coadjutors, some of his most glorious purposes 
— to open to the gaze of astonished men, the 
chambers of abominable imagery, and to set up 
a lofty beacon to point the burdened, the ago- 
nized, the oppressed — oppressed by man, by 
superstition, by bigotry, by pharisaic observan- 
ces, by sensual lusts, by Satan and sin, in eve- 
ry form, to the only ' True Rest' — the rest 
OF God. 

I have been much interested, of late, in your 
controversy with ' clerical abolitionists.' I must 
confess, I was hardly prepared to expect from 
these men, or any other, as a grave charge 
against you, that you held to keeping an every 
day sabbath of holy rest ! These men profess 
to hold in their hands the credentials of heaven, 
authorizing them to communicate to the world 
the glorious intelligence of a Savior's conquests 
over death, hell and sin, who, as an all sufficient 
Redeemer, ' able to save to the uttekmost 
all who come unto God by him,' is ' the same., 
yesterday, TO-DAY, and forever' — yea, they 
contend that their great business is ' to preach 
— warning every man, and teaching every man, 
in all wisdom, that they may present every man 
perfect in ClirisV — yet these are the very men, 
who, in the face of heaven and of men, hesitate 
not to charge upon you, as a crime against God^ 
against "pure and undejiled religion, that you 



* speak of keeping not one in seven, hut all 
DAYS HOLY ' ! ! ! 

I was equally astonished at another remark 
of the ' clerical' gentlemen. Speaking in refer- 
ence to your opinions of a legal sabbath, they 
exclaim, ' Oh, let us recur to the history of 
beautiful France, and see, as the effects of the 
abolition of the sabbath and its accompanying 
institutions, her fair fields crimsoned with the 
blood of her guilty and infatuated sons ! ' 

What kind of a sabbath do these men suppose is 
observed in popish countries? — (of Avhich France 
was one, at the time the process was commenced 
which developed the fearful events of her first 
revolution.) Iicas lorn and educated a Ro- 
manist, and in a popish country, and can there- 
fore speak the things I do know, and testify the 
things which I have seen. A Roman Catholic 
sabbath is a day spent in religious mummery 
and gross sensuality. Its observance consists 
in attending mass in the morning, (a mock ser- 
vice in an unknown tongue,) and spending the 
afternoon in card-playing, drinking, fiddling 
and dancing, breaking and racing horses, and 
attending the theatre in the evening, where 
there is one. (Look, for an example, in this 
country, at New Orleans !) It may be said 
that these statements apply to the cities only- 
I answer, not so — it is with the country I am 



more particularly acquainted ; and every thing 
I have stated is as true of the country as of the 
city, excepting only the theatre. What, then, 
was the sabbath in France, before it was ex- 
changed for the Decade ^ What do history and 
analogy say ? Their unequivocal testimony is, 
that neither a Jewish nor a puritanic sabbath 
was observed, nor one within ten thousand de- 
grees of either of them. It was a day devoted 
to the grossest superstition, delusion, hypocrisy, 
earthly, sensual, and devilish gratifications — a 
day in which men were said to eat the body, 
soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in the morning, 
and in the afternoon actually indulge in the 
lowest profanity, in sottish drunkenness, and 
carnal pleasure ! ! 

But what are the ' accompanying institutions'* 
of a popish sabbath? 1. A priesthood, as vile 
and fiend-like as ever cursed this miserable 
world — a priesthood that have waxed fat, and 
rioted upon the spoils, the chastity, the blood of 
myriads of ruined and murdered victims ! ! — 
that have thus far existed and maintained their 
power and supremacy, by keeping their dupes 
in the deepest ignorance, buried in superstition, 
in bigotry, in terror, and in crime. 2. The 
pretended offering of Jesus Christ times without 
number for the sins of men in the ' sacrifice of 
the Mass ' ! ! — thus saying that the ' offering of 



himself once'' is not sufficient ! 3. The eating 
of Almighty God, with the entire body and soul 
of Jesus Christ, in the form of a wafer ! ! 4. 
Penance — kneeling in the broad-aisle of the 
church, and licking up the dust on the floor — 
castigating the naked body with cords and 
whips, and many other such-like heathenish, 
self-inflicted tortures, designed to propitiate God 
for their sins — thus making a Christ of them- 
selves. 5. Confession to a priest, and the re- 
ception of a pardon of all sins from him. 6. 
Excommunicating and damning all heretics (i. 
e. all who difler from them) to the lowest hell 
forever ! ! 

Surely God must have been brought to the 
greatest extremity for a sabbath, to judge a na- 
tion so terribly as he did France for abolishing 
the one they had, and ' its accompanying insti- 
tutions ! ' But the ' clerical' gentlemen are 
very much in fault on another point : they rep- 
resent the bloody deeds of the Jacobins as ' the 
effects' of ' the abolition of the sabbath and its 
accompanying institutions : ' whereas, the sub- 
stitution of the tenth day for the seventh was a 
late act — which was done after most of the san- 
guinary scenes had been acted, which distin- 
guished the reign of terror. 

It has long been customary with ' clerical' 
men (including Dr. Beecher, a man from whose 



general intelligence we have had reason to ex- 
pect better things,) to represent the fearful deeds 
of the French revolution as the product of infi- 
delity merely. These representations may de- 
ceive those who are ignorant of the facts in this 
case, but with those who know them, a very 
different judgment will be formed. The infi- 
delity of France was the natural product of the 
popish soil on which it grew. Every one who 
has read the history of France, and who has 
even a grain of honesty, must confess that all 
the cruelties, and blood, and debauchery of the 
revolution, must be charged primarily to the re- 
ligion and priesthood of the Mother of Harlots. 
Voltaire, D'Alembert, Diderot, Rousseau, and 
their coadjutors, proved to the people of France 
that their religion was preposterous and ridicu- 
lous — which was easily done ; that it was the 
mother of superstition, of deceit, of cruelty, of 
the lowest barbarism, of the most degrading ig- 
norance, and of intolerable oppression. The 
people were convinced : they arose in triumph, 
and threw it off. Divested of this, they were 
of course divested of all — for they knew no oth- 
er. There was no other alternative than infi- 
delity. Their priests had previously satisfied 
ihem that protestantism was a most egregious 
modern delusion. Voltaire and his associates 
equally and irrefragibly convinced them that 



8 



popery was as egregious an ancient delusion ; 
and God, to punish ' the bloody house of Bour- 
bon,' the cruel, haughty aristocracy, the rapa- 
cious, persecuting priesthood, and their merciless 
tools, gave them, over into the hands of those 
who were disposed neither to pity nor to spare : 
and the nation he delivered up to their own vile 
affections, burning lusts, and raging passions : 
in short, he gave them blood to drink, for they 
were worthy — because they had most perfidi- 
ously betrayed the confiding, extinguished eve- 
ry spark of religious liberty, and persecuted un- 
to prison, to banishment, and to death, millions 
of defenceless people. 

I hesitate not to assert, that it was ' the sab- 
bath ' of France, and ' its accompanying institu- 
tions,' vrhich induced the reign of terror, or, in 
the words of the ' clerical ' gentlemen, ' crim- 
soned her fair fields with the blood of her guilty 
and infatuated sons,' and not their abolition. It 
would seem, from the sympathy manifested by 
' clerical ' men in this country toward the re- 
ligion and priesthood which were abolished in 
France, that they would rather have a religion 
and a priesthood from hell, than none at all. 

I have often thought, in reference to a popish 

and sectarian zeal for certain institutions, of 

the question of Prince Frederick, Elector of 

Saxon}^, to Erasmus, and of his answer. Fred- 

4 



9 

erick asked Erasmus, ' What reason the Pope 
and the monks had for their violent opposition 
toward Luther V — ' Ah ! reason enough,' an- 
swered Erasmus : ' he has touched the Pope 
upon the crown, and the monks upon the belly.' 
When you meddled with the sabbath, alias ' the 
great sun of the moral world,' alias the poiver 
and sifpremacy of the priesthood, you touched 
them upon the crown and belly both — ' reason 
enough' that you are a bad man, and should be 
sacrificed to appease the gods you have offend- 
ed. The seventh day, as a rest from the 
toils of the week, I consider a great physical 
blessing, especially to poor and laboring people, 
and also to oppressed animals ; but, as a relig- 
ious institution, I consider it a great curse, in 
many respects. 

In the winter of 1834, I was invited by the 
Free Church of Hartford, Conn, to spend a few 
days with them in religious exercises. I ac- 
cepted it, and went — found their pastor, Wm. 
C. Walton, on his death-bed, and the Church 
in much affliction. I remained with them till 
poor Walton closed his career — preached his 
funeral sermon, and was about to return home, 
when the Church gave me a pressing invitation 
to become the successor of Walton as their pas- 
tor. This I declined, because I was already 
engaged elsewhere, in what I considered a more 



10 



important field. Not long after, your redoubt- 
able Mr. Fitch succeeded Walton — and here I 
became acquainted, through the medium of oth- 
ers, with the character and spirit of the man. 
About the time, or soon after his installment, 
the question was agitated in the church,' Wheth- 
er it was, or was not, one of the distinctive pe- 
culiarities of a believer in Christ, that he is pure 
in heart, and walks with God in uninterrupted 
communion V Some of the most prominent, ac- 
tive and exemplary men in the church took the 
affirmative side of this question : among them 
was the superintendent of the Bible class, a soul 
hungering and thirsting after righteousness. 
Fitch became greatly exasperated, and drove him 
from his superintendency : though meek, sub- 
missive and forbearing, F. pursued him until he 
succeeded in excommunicating him and others. 
A nearly similar course took place in Acton, 
under Woodbury's management. The same 
subject was taken up there, and several were 
investigating it with that interest which its mo- 
mentous nature demanded. The dreaded ex- 
communication was held in terrorem over the 
heads of all who were pursuing their inquiries 
into the hated question. Yet these men pretend 
to hold to all the cardinal doctrines of Abolition : 
one of the most valuable and sacred is, the prin^ 



11 

ciple of FREE DISCUSSION, imawecl and nnlram- 
mellecl. 

When I learned that these men, and others 
of their stamp, had espoused the cause of Abo- 
lition, I remarked to my friends, that they had 
embarked chiefly for this reason : that they had 
nothing to lose, but, instead of this, a brighter 
prospect of acquiring popularity in this way 
than of any other; but when they should come 
to see, [and that period they looidd see,) that 
they had sobietiiing to lose, that moment they 
would abandon the ship, crew, and cargo. They 
well knew that they possessed no pre-eminent, 
intrinsic talents, which fitted them, single-hand- 
ed and alone, to reach that moral prominence 
for which their base-born ambition panted : 
hence, seeing Abolition as a rising wave, which 
would ultimately course its way over the vast 
ocean of mind, they sprung upon it, hoping thus 
to be borne to that extensive popular notice and 
distinction which they desired. 

My brother, you cannot depend upon those 
professed abolitionists, who have never relin- 
quished any valuable personal interest to sub- 
serve the cause of humanity ', who prefer pow- 
er, place, or station — character, life, limb, pos- 
sessions, or kindred — sect, party or priesthood 
— forms, ceremonies, or outward observances — 
to the disenthralment of the poor slave — yea, 



12 



of millions of oppressed brethren, bleeding in 
iron bondage. If they do not prefer the deliv- 
erance of the captive to every thing personal 
as it regards the things of this world, or those 
temporary ones which must pass away with it, 
I would not give a fig for them. They are das- 
tardly spirits, who will desert you in the time 
of trial. We can know no man until he is put 
into the fire ; and if he comes out unscathed, 
just in proportion to the number of times the 
furnace has been heated, may we calculate his 
value, his stability, his integrity — yea, his 
Christ-like disinterestedness. Such men as 
L_— T— , T. D. W -, and many oth- 
ers, who have not only passed the bridge, but 
demolished it, and hence can never know re- 
treat — men fearless, independent, disposed to 
follow truth, pure truth, through blood, and fire, 
and vapor of smoke, reckless of consequences — ' 
can never prove recreant to the principles of ab- 
olition, or to whatever they may legitimately 
lead. I name these men, because I am more 
particularly acquainted with them, especially 
with W^"^"^ — dear soul ! — he is my brother — 
bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh. For 
these nine or ten years, as Jonathan loved Da- 
vid, so have I loved him. I know him, have 
proved him, and am assured that he is a« pre- 
cious a spirit as walks the earth. 
4* 



13 

The spirit with which yoii are now in con- 
flict is no other than the spirit of priestly domi- 
nation and sectarian selfishness. All the ap- 
peals which have been made to vulgar preju- 
dice, to the low, earthly, base spirit of party, in 
relation to the character of ' the ministry,' ' pas- 
toral rights,' ' the visible church,' ' the Sabbath,' 
et cetera, are nothing less than the develope- 
ments of sheer acrid sectarianism. The spirit 
of Abolition is free, expansive, elevating, enno- 
bling. It repels every human and degrading 
fetter. It gives to body and mind as wide a 
sphere for intellectual and benevolent action, as 
their capacities demand. It claims every man, 
of whatever clime, country, or color, as a bro- 
ther — and knows no treacherous, exclusive, or 
enslaving shibboleths. I have for some time 
been fully satisfied, that Abolition and Sectari- 
anism cannot long walk together. They are 
like the iron and clay of Nebuchadnezzar's 
image; they do not, cannot, will not, cleave 
the one to the other: nay, more — they must, in 
the very nature of the case, mutually repel each 
other. Sectarianism draws a circle around its 
captives, and forever forbids them to step, or 
think, or act, beyond its miserably contracted 
limits. It cramps and withers mind. It is the 
uncompromising enemy of freedom of thought, 
freedom of discussion, and freedom of action. 



14 

It makes the love of its creed, the love of its 
party, the love of its traditions, and subserviency 
to its priesthood, the test of character and fel- 
lowship, and not the pure love of God, and the 
universal love of man. It is a spirit of selfish- 
ness, Jesuitism, and persecution. It demands 
the control of every moral and political move- 
ment. If this is not granted, it will seek, by 
the meanest and basest of arts, their destruc- 
tion ; but if its demand is complied with, the 
noble objects will be prostituted to the selfish, 
niggardly interest of the party ; or, if this can- 
not be done, they will receive a deadly moral 
paralysis. It is the bane of all that is true, and 
lovely, and honest ; and bears upon its infamous 
front, all the lineaments of the first-born child 
of Satan. 

Sectarianism (and in this term I include 
priestly pride and domination) is now the 
greatest obstruction which lies in the way of 
Abolition. The fear of dividing the party has 
stanched the sympathies, and paralyzed the 
energies of tens of thousands ; has led the cor- 
rupt clergy of the North to search heaven and 
earth for apologies for slaveholding ; has led 
them, and their blind-led votaries, to close every 
door within their control against the free dis- 
cussion of human rights — to exclude from the 
religious press, the presentation of the agoniz- 



15 

ing state of millions held by the venomous 
fangs of inexorable cocatrices. It is Sectarian- 
ism which furnishes nearly all the argubient 
—and argument, too, from the highest and most 
sacred sources — to justify a system of lust, of 
tapine and blood-guiltiness, of the worst char- 
acter ; which does more to quiet the conscience 
of the slaveholding banditti, than all other ad- 
vocates and apologists combined ; which has 
done more than any other army of the aliens, 
to furnish influential materials of which mobs 
have been composed— to make them fierce, 
cold-blooded, and eternally impenitent — and to 
keep in countenance all who justify, who insti- 
gate, who connive at, and protect them. Sec- 
tarianism is fitted to affect men in every place, 
in every circumstance, in every relation of 
life, because it is more or less connected with 
almost every moral, social, commercial, or po- 
litical alliance : hence, it holds in its hands a 
more tremendous power, possesses a more ex- 
tensive dominion, than all other influences put 
together; and, therefore, does more than all 
things else to hold back the car of Abolition. 

Look at the gigantic, yea, despotic power of 
the priesthood, as presented by one of their own 
number in one of their ' high places.' At an 
annual meeting of the American Education So* 



16 

ciety, one of the prominent ' clerical' speakers 
(Artemas Boies) made the following remarks : 

' The pastor sustains a relation to his flock which is 
Unique. He is brought in contact with every cord of 
the human heart, with every asje, and class, and condi- 
tion in the community with which he is connected.— 
There is not a scene of domestic sorrow or of joy, m 
which he is not called to mingle. There is not a move- 
ment for intellectual improvement, not a scheme for 
moral or religious effort, but looks to him for the im- 
pulse and energy of his example. But above all, he is 
entrusted with the moral principle or power m man, 
which gives shape to his character, and settles his des- 
tiny ! ^The teacher, whose v\^ork is with conscience, 
sustains a responsibility, and wields a power over the 
human mind, which no other man can exert. It is to 
no purpose to say, we are free — v/e call no man master 
OF OUR FAITH. And I ask, where is there a church, where 
is there a society, I care not of what sect, who do not 
consider the interpretation of the Bible, which they 
receive from the pastor in whom they confide, [i.e. whom 
they have hired to teach them instead of God,] as the 
TRUE INTERPRETATION? Let me repeat, then, you can- 
not destroy the influence of the clergy, without annihila- 
ting their existence as a distinct body of men ! ! ' See 
Report of the A-ii. Education Society for 1831. 

This testimony is true ! We see here what 
spirit the American Education Society infuses 
into its beneficiaries — what spirit trains and 
disciplines them in the College and Theological 
Seminary — what spirit pervades Presbyteries, 
Assemblies, Conferences, Associations — what 
spirit hushes inquirjr, sears the conscience, in- 
duces inaction in regard to slavery, abolition, 
holiness, &c. in thousands of congregations, and 
ten thousand times ten thousand individuals. 



17 

Moreover, we learn here what are meant by 
* pastoral rights' — by ' the sabbath, the great 
sun of the moral world' — ' the visible church,' 
' the character and influence of the ministry.' 
We learn, also, by their own confession, what 
awful prero'^atives are claimed by peccable 
and short-sighted self-styled clergymen — viz. 
that of ' giving shape to the character,, and set- 
tling the destiny,^ not only of every intellectual 
and moral effort, but of myriads of immortal 
souls!! Surely we may well be prepared to 
expect assumptions of almost every prerogative 
where we see them unblushingly claiming the 
exercise of a despotic tyranny over the faith 
of men — that faith which ' shapes the character, 
and settles the destiny' of the soul ! — while 
these very men are divided and sub-divided 
among themselves, and differ in ten thousand 
ways in regajd to what constitutes the true 
faith of the gospel, the true method of biblical 
interpretation, and the true meaning of scripture ! 
I have said that the spirit with which you 
are now in conflict is that of priestly domination 
and sectarian selfishness; and you have indeed 
aroused an enemy, more subtile, more treach- 
erous, desperate and unrelenting, than you have 
ever previously met. Solomon says that ' A 
whore is a deep ditch and a narrow pit.' 
Such is the mother of harlots, and all her 



18 

daughters ; and woe to the man who becomes 
involved iti their mire, or their Jesuitical dark- 
ness ! None but the angel of the everlasting 
covenant can pilot him out, or give him victory 
over the evil Genii who preside over the cha- 
otic mass. 

I know well the spirit which now attacks and 
mortally hates you, having been both papist and 
protestant — been made satisfactorily acquainted 
wnth the peculiar tactics of each — having known 
many hundreds, yea, I may say, thousands of 
' ministers' personally — having known very 
many in public and in private — I have no hesi- 
tation in saying, that, as Bachelors of Arts, and 
Masters of Arts, and Doctors of Arts, no arts 
on the earth, or beneath the earth, can surpass 
theirs. 

The contest in which you are now engaged 
is not the last, but it is most certainly the de- 
cisive one between Abolition and Sectarianism. 
]\Iany who join with you now, and many who 
are mere spectators, do not perceive the real 
bearing, or the infinite importance of this con- 
troversy. Abolition is destined to dash in pie- 
ces, as a potter's vessel, every sect in Christen- 
dom. But it will not do it by its own wisdom 
or might ; but as the Battle-Axe of Almighty 
God, it will be as vehemently and effectually 
used in his hands, as was the instrument of 



19 

death in the hands of Samuel, when he hewed 
Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgo.l. It 
has already severed the Presbyterian sect in 
twain : it has commenced the work of division 
and dissolution in the Methodist Episcopal sect. 
Like a ponderous giant, it will ultimately tread 
upon the necks of all, crushing them beneath its 
massive feet. The direct and fiercest conflict 
has not yet commenced ; but it will come — and 
tremendous will that conflict be. Abolition will 
yet reach that point where the question will 
arise, (and appropriately too,) whether it shall 
advance, er yield the ground to an irreconcila- 
ble rival ? — for one of them must finally perish 
by the hand of the other. And \vhen that 
question comes, the open declaration of extir- 
minating war will be made. You must expect 
to pass through sorer trials than you have ever 
yet known. You must expect to be blackballed 
from head to foot, and made to run the gauntlet 
(Indian fashion) in the worst way. You will 
have to do with an enemy which has perpetrat- 
ed more crimes, inflicted more cruelties, sacri- 
ficed mxore victims, shed more blood, trampled 
upon more rights, secular and sacred, than any 
other hoary giant foe of God and man. The 
Lord has put ^''ou, my brother, in the front 
rank of his advanced guard, and, fighting under 



20 



his banner, you can never fall- -you cannot fail 
to triumph. 

I have observed, of late, that you have be- 
come satisfied, that moral influence will never 
abolish slavery in this country. Of this, I have 
long been certain. Reference has often been 
made to the West Indies, and assurance of the 
success of anti-slavery measures, in this coun- 
try, has been gathered from their success in 
Great Britain and the colonies. There would 
be ground for this, if our religious and political 
attitude resembled that of the mother country. 
The Moravian, Wesleyan, and Baptist mission- 
aries in the West Indies, possessed no interest 
in the slaveholding system. Their congrega- 
tions and churches were mostly composed of 
slaves or colored people: hence, their sympa- 
thies were altogether on the side of the oppress- 
ed. The slaveholders were always jealous of 
them — ever disposed to set limits to their influ- 
ence, their efforts, and their liberties — to traduce, 
to persecute, and assail them with violence. The 
sects with which they stood connected in Europe 
were equally disconnected with the system. — > 
The clergy of the slaveholders were members 
of the Church of England, and being patronized 
by the oppressors, they were to a man in favor 
of the perpetuity of slavery. Yet their brethren 
of the establishment in Europe, generally, were 



21 

not disposed to act with them. Interests and 
influences, such as operate among us, upon the 
sects of the north, in regard to their southern 
brethren, did not exist, or Avere not of sufficient 
importance to aflect them. The great and al- 
most the only barrier in the way of abolition 
was the interest held in the system of slave la- 
bor by the aristocracy of Great Britian, But, 
by the overwhelming pressure of the public 
will, they were compelled to give way. Fur- 
ther, the abolition of slavery in the West Indies 
w^as completely within the power of the people 
of the mother country, and they needed not a 
great moral change^ such as would lead them 
to give up a supposed personal interest, but 
simply a given amount of intelligence, fitted to 
wake up their natural love of liberty and sym- 
pathy with the oppressed, which would bring 
them to exert that resolute and appropriate ac- 
tion, which was adapted to the effectuation of 
the desired object. If the people of Great Bri- 
tain had been compelled to wait until by moral 
influence they had convinced the slaveholders 
and their time-serving clergy of their criminali- 
ty, and thus led them to consent to the abolition 
of slavery, how long a period, do you suppose, 
would have elapsed, before their desire would 
have been gratified? 

Now, look at our own country. We are 



22 

able to exert no other than a moral influence 
on the slaveholder. We can effect nothing, un- 
less we can bring him to see his sin, and vol- 
untarily to renounce it. But, to me, insur- 
mountable difficulties are in the way, so far as 
mere moral suasion is concerned. The oppres- 
sor, with the obstinacy and desperation of a de- 
mon, has closed up every avenue of access to 
his understanding and his conscience, so far as 
this has been within his power. He has trans- 
formed the pages of the Bible into brazen 
shields, to ward off every arrow of truth. He 
has thrown around him a rampart of spungy 
priests, who, like bales of cotton, extract the 
momentum from the balls that are levelled at 
his callous heart. He has trampled under his 
impious feet, the rebukes and remonstrances of 
the civilized world. He has shown a Corin- 
thian impudence, which would look the moral 
world out of countenance. He has perpetrated 
the most daring and unparalleled piracy, to give 
unending perpetuity to his crime. He has 
sworn eternal allegiance to the prince of mur- 
derers, and sold himself, soul, body, and spirit, 
to perpetual evil. Look at the vast army of 
advocates and apologists, that cluster around 
him ! Every sect, with the exception of the 
Quakers, (and they dare not bark.) which in- 
habits his territory — their Judas-like priesthood, 



23 

who teach for hire and divine for money — the 
great body of the equally corrupt clergy and 
corpulent, gouty sects of the north — the greater 
influence of a pseudo-religious press — the wor- 
shippers of mammon, a mighty host — a widely 
extended, unprincipled political press — the two 
great political parties which divide the country 
in their sordid strife for the spoils of office — the 
vast army of mercenary office-holders, without 
feeling and without honesty — the governments 
of nearly all the states, and the government of 
the United States — all combine to justify, to 
protect, and defend him. 

I know that there is nothing too hard for the 
Lord — that he is able to surmount all these, or 
any other obstacles. But what reason have we 
to expect, that he will interpose his all-conquer- 
ing arm to rescue such a nation as this ? — a na- 
tion which has proved recreant to every princi- 
ple upon which its government is ostensibly 
based, and for the rectitude of which, in 
their birth, they most solemnly appealed to 
Heaven — a nation more perfidious than Arabs 
or Algerines, guilty of the blackest perju- 
ry before all the VN^orld in violating solemn 
treaties with the grievously wronged Indian, 
scattered, and peeled, and driven with force and 
cruelty from his rightful home — a nation guilty 
of the most high-handed and daring robberies 



24 

— a nation dyed in the blood of stolen Africans^ 
of murdered slaves, and murdered Indians — a 
nation which weighs evevy principle and every 
interest cf heaven and earth in the scales of 
avarice, and calculates their value accordingly 
— a nation vvdiich has trampled upon all justice^ 
all law, all government, all truth and righteous- 
r.oss, in eiTorts to crash the best friends of our 
common humanity — a nation which, like the 
drunkard or the maniac, has lost the power of 
self-recovery, and is every way well worthy of 
being made a proverb, a by-vrord, a hissing, 
and a curse among all the nations of the earth- 
' Were they ashamed when they had committed 
abominations ? Nay, they were not at all 
ashamed, neither could they blush I There- 
fore, they shall fall among them that fall at the 
time that I visit them : they shall be cast down, 
saith the Lord.' ' Shall I not visit for these 
things ? saith the Lord. Shall not my soul be 
avenged on such a nation as this?' 

There is a certain class of medicines, power- 
ful but equally valuable, which, when adminis- 
tered to a patient in whom the vital stamina is 
not materially injured, invariably effects a cure ; 
but which, v/hen administered to one whose con- 
stitution is imperceptibly, yet irrecoverably im- 
paired or undermined by a complication of dis- 
eases, have no other tendency than to develope 
5* 



25 

the most frightful symptoms — such as deadly- 
chills, violent convulsions, and raving delirium 
— and hence, hurries him to his tomb. The 
state of this latter patient, I consider a just rep- 
resentation of the moral, religious and political 
condition of this country, generally. Abolition 
would effect a cure, if there was enough of vi- 
tality to sustain its operation ; but fierce dis- 
eases having pertinaciously seized every part, 
its only tendency is to develope (not create) ap- 
palling symptoms of deep decay and speedy dis- 
solution. The violence of mobs, the fury of 
oppressors, the virulence and madness of their 
protectors and apologists in Church and State, 
are but the tremendous convulsions, the fearful 
delirium, the dying throes of an expiring na- 
tion. 

The signs of the times indicate clearly, to my 
mind, thai God has given up the sects and par- 
ties, political and religious, of this nation, into 
the hands of a perverse and lying spirit, and 
left them to fill up the measure of their sins. 
When this measure shall have been completed, 
I doubt not that he will thunder in his burning 
indignation upon them; and as each scathing 
round shall successively demolish the various 
ecclesiastical and political structures, all minds 
will instantaneously recur to the remonstrances 
and warnings repeatedly given by those true 



26 

friends of God and man, ' who would have 
made up the hedge — who stood in the gap be- 
fore the Lord, for the land, that he should not 
destroy it ' — but w^ho were thrust away, and 
trampled under foot. Moral Reform, Peace, 
An ti- Slavery, Anti-Sectarian, or any other phil- 
anthropic measures, will never, by themselves, 
effect their great objects. One design of God 
in originating them is, to prepare this nation to 
understand, when he comes to judgment, what 
are the mighty sins which have kindled his 
wrath against it. Observe how ready e^^en a 
Bacon* was to refer to slavery as one of the 
prominent causes of divine judgment in blasting 
the commercial interests of the country. The 
late pressure ^vas only a fore-running presage 
of what He is about to do. When the Lord 
reveals himself in flaming fire, all the facts, the 
arguments, appeals, rebukes, entreaties, which 
have been heaped around the abominable, the 
whoremonger, the sorcerer, the blood-stained 
warrior, the vile oppressor, the bigoted sectari- 
an, the sin-advocating levite, the perjured states- 
man, &c. will kindle like so many faggots, and 
burn upon the conscience like the raging fires 
of a volcano. 

I look upon abolition as the greatest moral 



* Leonard Bacon of New-Haven. 



27 



scliool, instituted of God, now existing — in 
which he is disciplining- a class of noble minds 
for a more tremendous crisis than this world 
has ever yet seen — which, I think, is not far 
distant. I consider it as a voice from heaven 
to the honest-hearted, saying, ' Come ye out 
from among them, (i. e. all who are joined to 
their idols,) that ye be not partakers of their 
sins — that ye receive not of their plagues.' I 
vievv' it as holding a similar relation to the de- 
velopement of that kino'dom which shall destroy 
all others, and never end, which John the Bap- 
tist held to Christ in his first advent. It is not 
the revelation of the Lord from heaven, but the 
' voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare 
ye the way of the Lord ! Make straight in the 
desert a highway for our God !' — Hence, I re- 
gard it of more consequence and of more advan- 
tage than any other moral movement now ex- 
tant. But all are not Israel who are of Israel ; 
and God will, in his own time and way, insti- 
tute a winnowing process, v/hich will send back 
many professed abolitionists to the place where 
they legitimately belong. As in Gideon's ar- 
my, tests will be successively developed, which 
will discover and purge out the heartless, tem- 
porizing, pusillanimous and selfish spirits which 
have intruded themselves among you. 

I value abolition because of its Christ-like 



28 



principles. Its fundamental principles, as ap- 
plied to the natural inheritance and happiness 
of man, are Christ's principles, as applied to the 
spiritual inheritance and happiness of man. 
The arguments and objections which are urged 
against it are precisely of the same character, 
and come from the same source that those do 
which are urged against a pure and perfect 
Christianity. That I may not seem to be 'a 
setter forth' of strange doctrines, I will present 
a few particulars, in which the parallel may be 
distinctly seen between the two. 

Arguments in favor of sla- 
very, or objections to natural 
freedom. 



1. Slavery was forced 
■upon us by a superior pow- 
er, (the British Govern- 
ment,) without our consent, 
and it is not in our power 
to remove it. 

2. Slavery was entailed 
upon us by our ancestors : 
cannot help what was 
done before we were born. 

3. The patriarchs were 
godly men, yet were great 
slaveholders. 

4. The Jews -were the 
chosen people of God, yet 
they greatly indulged in 
slaveholding. 

5. Members of the prim- 
itive church held m:any 



Arguments in favor of sin, 
or objections to spiritual free- 
do?!^ 

1. A sinful nature was 
forced upon us by a high- 
er power, (the Divine Gov- 
ernment,) without our con- 
sent, and it is not in our 
power to remove it. 

2. Sin was entailed up- 
on us by our common an- 
cestor: cannot help what 
was done before we were 
born. 

3. The patriarchs were 
godly men, yet were great 
sinners. 

4. The Jews were the 
chosen people of God, yet 
they greatly indulged in 
sin. 

5. Members of the prim- 
itive church committed ma- 



29 



•slaves, yet were acknowl- 
edged christians. 

6. Emancipations of 
slaves nowhere required 
in the Bible as necessary 
to piety or the divine favor. 

7. No instances in the 
Bible of any, upon becom- 
lag religious, emancipat- 
ing their servants from 
slavery. 

8. Many of the best men 
in all ages — philanthro- 
pists, patriots, ministers, 
and pious laymen, as such, 
have held many slaves. 

9. Bible predictions lead 
us to expect that African 
servitude will always exist 
in this world, even in the 
best of countries. 

10. In the nature of the 
case, the slave cannot be 
free from physical bond- 
age here. The prejudices 
of the whites, his degrada- 
tion, and natural inferiori- 
ty, must ever keep him un- 
der the servile yoke, in 
some form. 

11. Have never seen 
any who were the better 
for being ostensibly free 
from slavery. 

12. If we should practi- 
cally acknowledge slavery 
to be inconsistent with jus- 
tice and humanity, we 
should be stript of all the 
property we possess. 

13. Slaves have been so 



ny sins, yet wer« acknowl- 
edged christians. 

6. Freedom from sin no 
where required in the Bi- 
ble as necessary to piety 
or the divine favor. 

7. No instances in the- 
Bible of any, upon becom- 
ing religious, being eman- 
cipated from sin. 

8. Manyofthe best men 
in all ages — philanthro- 
pists, patriots, ministers, 
and pious laymen, as such, 
have committed many sins. 

9. Bible declarations 
lead us to expect that sin- 
ful servitude will exist in 
this world, even in the 
best of men. 

10. In the nature of the 
case, the sinner cannot be 
free from moral bondage 
here. The corruptions of 
the world, temptation, his 
bodily constitution, habits, 
and natural propensities, 
must ever keep him under 
the servile yoke, in some 
form. 

11. Have never seen any 
who were the better for be- 
ing professedly free from 
sin. 

12. If we should hearti- 
ly acknowledge sin to be 
inconsistent with truth and 
Christianity, we should be 
stript of all the religion we 
profess. 

13. Sinners have been 



30 

long accustomed to sla- so long accustomed to sii> 
very, they cannot be made ning, they cannot be made 
free at once, but gradually, free at once, but gradually, 
14. The slaves cannot 14. Sinners cannot be 
be made free here — must made free here — must be 
be transported beyond the transported bej^ond the 
sea, and colonized in the grave, and colonized in the 
land of their fathers, in or- land of their fathers, in or- 
der to be liberated from sla- der to be liberated from 
very. sin. 

Dearly beloved, the morning cometh, and 
also the night — but the night first. A blighter 
day is approaching — but a day of darkness and 
gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 
must intervene between this time and that glo- 
rious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, when 
he shall consume the Man of Sin with the spirit 
of his mouth, and destroy him with the bright- 
ness of his coming. That day is near at hand, 
yea, even at the doors. Already a mighty 
moral famine is in the land — not a famine of 
bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the 
pure word of the Lord. The distant sound of 
approaching earthquakes is heard. Spiritual 
pestilences have commenced their mortal rava- 
ges. False prophets and false Christs are 
many. Brother is offended with brother, and 
ready on the slightest occasions to betray him. 
Love waxes cold, and iniquities abound. Dis- 
tress of nations is beginning to appear, with 
perplexity. Men's hearts are failing them for 
fear, while looking for those things that are 



31 



coming upon the earth ; for the powers of heav- 
en shall be shaken. Bat all who have receiv- 
ed that kingdom which cannot be moved — who 
stand upon mount Zion, upon the Rock of Ages, 
will look undaunted upon ' the wreck of ele- 
ments and the crush of worlds,' peaceful, joy- 
ful, in the Christian's rest. 

My brother, I have not written this letter for 
the Liberator, either in whole or in part, or for 
publication any where. I have written it that 
I might, in this way, hold communion with 
you personally ; and thus, as I have long de- 
sired, breathe the abiding sentiments of my 
soul into your own bosom. I know not but 
you will think that I have laid a large and 
heavy tax upon you, and have acted the part of 
an intruder. If I have, forgive me this wrong. 
The Lord knoweth that it is the love I bear to- 
ward you, and the desire which I cherish, that 
you may be sustained and borne successfully 
through the many conflicts which you have to 
pass, because I have seen a spirit in you which 
is not of this world. All these, and many oth- 
er considerations of good will, have led me to 
take the liberties (if such they may be called) 
which I have in this letter, and to open my 
heart so freely and fully to you. I find but 
few unfettered minds and congenial hearts 
with whom I can hold sweet counsel — because 



32 

I am a heretic of the worst kind, in holding to 
a most disorganizing, pestiferous and deceitful 
doctrine, viz. that Jesus Christ came to save his 
people from their sins, and, consequently, from 
the power and tyranny of all who live upon 
these sins. I have found me a lodging place 
of wayfaring men here in the wilderness, as a 
stranger and a pilgrim, tarrying onl}^ as it were 
for a night. I might say much respecting 
my present retirement from the busy world into 
a new and poor country, surrounded by the 
forest, &c. &c. but consider it wise to be silent. 
The Lord direct and succeed you. Wishing 
you and yours, and all who are associated with 
you in operation and heart, grace, mercy and 
peace, I subscribe myself your affectionate 
brother in the kingdom and patience of Jesus 
Christ. Farewell ! 

JAMES BOYLE. 

P. S. In saying that I did not write this let- 
ter for publication, I would not have it under- 
stood that I have any secrets, or would pre- 
scribe to you any course in regard to it which 
you should take. Do as you please with it. 
It formed no part of my design, whatever, in 
writing it, to gain any notice from any class of 
men, or from yourself. I know you have oc- 
cupation enough, without that of noticing every 
6 



33 

individual who may write you. I have a thous- 
and things in my mind respecting the great 
things of God, of Christ, of hjs kingdom, of the 
gospel, of the law, of antichrist, of the world, 
the church, &c. &c. about which I should re- 
joice to converse with you, but will trust that 
my Father will, in his own time, give me an 
opportunity. A thousand blessings on you and 
yours. Amen. J. B. 

Wm. L. Garrison. 



LofC. 



UNIVERSAL EMANCIPATION. 



BROoKLTifj August 14, 1837. 
My dear friend : 

What an oath-taking, war-making, man-enslaving, 
sin-perpetuating religion is that which is preached, pro- 
fessed, and prao'iised mi th<s country i It is like 'clouds 
without water, carried about of winds; trees whose 
fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up 
by the loots; raging vvaves o'"ihe sea, foaming out their 
own shame.' Its main pillars are Judaism and Popery, 
and no wonder the crozy superstructure is toltering to 
its fall. But God is preparing something better, to re- 
deem, regenerate, and give rest to this troubled world. 
Out of the ruins of the various religious sects, (for they 
are all to be destroyed by the brightness of the coming 
of Christ,) materials of holiness shall be gathered to 
build up a spiritual house, and to constitute a royal 
priesthood. Below is a poetical effusion, on the subject 
of Christian Rest, to which my mind and head have 
just given birth. 

Yours, in the bonds of love, W. L. G. 



36 

TRUE REST. 

* Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest.' — Jesus Christ. 

' For we who have believed do enter into rest.' — 
Paul. 

If thou should'st fail to find true rest 

On earth, thou'lt find it not in heaven ; 
Here must it dwell within thy breast, 

Or thou must tempest-tossed be driven. 
For what is rest ? Not indolence 

Of body, or of mind or soul; 
Not in the loss of sight or sense — 

Not in the grave, our earthly goal. 
It is not freedom from ' the ills 

Which flesh is heir to' — sickness, pain, 
Malice that wounds, or Death that kills, 

Temptation's lure, or Penury's chain. 
In vain in Nature's solitude 

'Tis fondly sought — in hermit's cell, 
Where stranger footsteps ne'er intrude- 
On mountain-top, in silent dell : 
It reigns not in the peasant's cot, 

Nor in the palace of the king; 
It is not found by chance or lot, 

'Tis not a partial birth-right thing. 
Gold cannot buy, nor valor win. 

Nor power command, nor station gain it; 
Whatever bears a taint of sin, 

Unpurified, cannot obtain it. 
6* 



37 



Thou may'st -;ave beauty, wit, and parts, 
That sliall secure thee vast acclaim, 

And be the idol of all hearts, 
And gather universal fame ; 

And by the potentates of earth 
Be honored as a chosen guest ; 

And be exalted from thy birth — 
Yet never know one hour of rest! 

Thou may'st upon thy very knees 
Have gone on many a pilgrimage, 

And far excelled all devotees, 
That ever trod this mortal stage. 

In self-inflicted agonies, 
All sinful lusts to crucify : 

In vain thy tears, and groans, and cries- 
Rest, by such acts, thou can'st not buy. 

Thou may'st have joined some chosen sect, 
And given thy sanction to a creed. 

And been pronounced among th' elect, 
And zealous been in word and deed — 

Most orthodox of proselytes, 

Strict in observing seasons, days, 

Church order, ceremonies, rites. 

Constant at church to pray and praise — 

Munificent in all good works, 
That with the gospel may be blest 

All heathen tribes, Jews, Greeks and Turks- 
Yet still a stranger be to rest. 

For what is best ? 'Tis not to be 
Half saint, half sinner, day by day ; 



38 

Half saved, half lost ; half bound, half free; 

Half in the fold, and half astray ; 
Faithless this hour, the next most true ; 

Just half alive, half crucified; 
Half washed, and half polluted too ; 
To Christ and Belial both allied ! 
Now trembling at Mount Sinai's base — 
Anon, on Calvary's summit shouting; 
One instant, boasting of free grace — 

The next, God's pardoning mercy doubting ! 
Now sinning, now denouncing sin ; 

Filled with alternate joy and sorrow ; 
To-day, feel all renewed within, 

But fear a sad relapse to-morrow ! 
All ardent, now, and eloquent, 

And bold for God, with soul on fire ; 
At once, complete extinguishment 

Ensues, and all its sparks expire ! 
O, most unhappy of mankind ! 

In thee what contradictions meet ! 
Seeing thy way, yet groping blind ! 
Most conscientious, yet a cheat ! 
Allowing what thou dost abhor, 

And hating what thou dost allow ; 
Dreaming of freedom by the law, 
Yet held in bondage until now ! 
This is ' the old man, with his deeds,' 

Striving to do his very best : 
'Tis crucifixion that he needs — 

Self-righteous, how can he know rest ? 



39 



What, then^ is rest ? It is to be 

Perfect in love and holiness; (1) 
From sin eternally made free ; (2) 

Not under law, but under grace ; (3) 
Once cleansed from guilt, forever pure ; (4) 

Once pardoned, ever reconciled ; (5) 

(1) ' If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and 
his love is jiei-fected in us.' — 1. John, iv. 12. 

(2) ' Whosoever abideth in him, (Christ,) sinneth not. 
— He that committeth sin is of the devil. Whosoever 
is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth 
in him ; and he cannot sin, because he is born of 
God. In this the children of God are manifest, and 
the children of the devil : whosoever doeth not righte- 
ousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his 
brother.'— 1 John, iii. 6, 8, 9. 

(3) ' Sin shall not have dominion over you : for ye 
are not under ih '•'''' v. but under grace.' — ' If ye be led 
by the Spirit, , 'iinder the law.' — ' Wherefore 
the law was i-riaster to bring us to Christ, 
that we migV- .hy faith. But after that faith 
is come, we> i ;■ . - , under a school-master.' — 'For 
I through th'^iaw^y: ead to the law, that I might live 
unto God. I am erucified with Christ: nevertheless, 
I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. I do not 
frustrate the grace of God : for if righteousness come by 
the law, then Christ is dead in vain.' — ' For the law of 
the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ, hath made me free 
from the law of sin and death.' — Paul. 

(4) ' The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all 
sin.' — 1 John i. 7. — ' For by one offering he hath per- 
fected forever them that are sanctified.' — Hebrews x. 14. 

(5) ' For if when we were enemies, we were recon- 
ciled to God by the death of his Son ; much more, being 
reconciled, tee shall be saved bi/ his life.' — Romans v. 
10. — ' And you, that were sometimes alienated and ene- 
mies in your minds by wicked works, yet now hath he 
reconciled, in the body of his flesh through death, to 
present you holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable, 
in his sight.' — Colossians i. 21, 22. 



40 

Once healed, to find a pciTcct cure ; (6) 
As Jesus blameless, undefiled; (7) 

Once saved, no more to go astraj- ; (S) 
Once crucified, then always dead; (9) 

Once in the new and living way, 
True ever to our living Head ; (10) 

(6) 'With his stripes we are healed.' — Isaiah liji.5. — 
' We know that we Jiave passed from dcatli unto life' — 
1 John, iii. 14. — 'lie that heareth my word, and be- 
lieveth on him that sent me. hath everlasting life' — 
' He that believeth in me, though he were dead^ yet 
shall he live, and shall nexer die.' — Christ. 

(7) ' Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth 
himself, even as he (Christ) is pure.' — * In him is no 
sin.' — ' He that doetli righteousness is righteous, even 
as he (Christ) is righteous.' — 1 John iii. 3, 5, 7. — 
'Christ liveth in )iie.' — Galatians ii. 20. — ' If any man 
have not tJie Spirit of Christ, he is '^"'•e of his.' — Ro- 
mans viii. 9. — ' I in them, ■ iie, that they 
may be made perfect in ^ 

(8) 'I give vmio ^^^they shall 
never perish, neither _,, a. • "out of my 
hands.' — ' I know whom I ha. t ved, ^d am per- 
suaded that he is able to keep tliat v»4iich I have com- 
mitted unto him against tliatday.' — Paul. — ' Receiving 
the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.' 
— Peter. 

(9) ' Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with 
him, that the body of sin might he destroyed, that 
henceforth we should not serve sin. For lie that is dead 
is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we 
believe that we shall also live with him.' — Romans vi. 
C, 7, 8. — 'For ye are dead, and your life is hid with 
Christ in God.' — Colossians iii. 3. — 'And they that are 
Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the afl'ections 
and lusts.' — Galatians v. 24. 

(10) ' Speaking the truth in love, may grow up into 
him in ali things, which is the head, even Christ.' — 
Ephesians iv. 15. — ' Who shall separate us from the 



41 



Dwelling in God, and God in us ; (11) 
From every spot and wrinkle clear ; (12) 

Safely delivered from the curse ; (13) 
Incapable of doubt or fear. (14) 

It is to have eternal life, (15) 

To follow where the Saviour trod ; (16) 

love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or perse- 
cution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, 
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that 
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor 
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able 
to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ 
Jesus our Lord.' — Romans viii. 35, 37, 38, 39. — ' I am 
the bread of life: he that cometh to me, shall never 
hunger ; and he that believeth on me, shall never thirst.^ 
— John vi. 35 — ' How shall we, that are dead to sin, 
live any longer therein ?' — Romans vi. 2. — * Who are 
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.' 
— 1 Peter i. 5. 

(11) ' God is love : and he that dwelleth in love, 
dwelleth in God, and God in him.' — ' He that keepeth 
his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him.' — 
1 John, iv. 16 — iii. 24. 

(12) * Not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.' 
— Ephesians v. 27. 

(13) ' Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
law, being made a curse for us.' — Galatians iii. 13. — 
* The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the na- 
tions. And there shall be no more curse.' — Revelations 
xxii. 3. 

(14) ' There is no fear in love ; but perfect love casteth 
out fear : because fear hath torment. He that fear eth, is 
not made perfect in love.' — 1 John iv. 18. ' For ye have 
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear.' Ro- 
mans viii. 15. 

(\^) ' God hath given to us eternal life : and this life 
is in his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life.' 1 



42 



To be removed from earthly strife — (17) 

Joint-heirs with Christ — and sons of God ! (18) 
Never from rectitude to swerve, 

Though by the powers of hell pursued; 
To consecrate, without reserve, 

All we possess, in Moing good.' 
It is to glory in the Cross, 

Endure reproach, despise the shame, 
And wisely count as dung and dross, 

All earthly grandeur, homage, fame ; 
To know the Shepherd of the sheep — 

Be gentle, harmless, meek and lowly; 
All joy, all hope, all peace — to keep 

Not one in seven, but all days holy ! 

John V. 11, 12. ' The gift of God is eternal life, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord.' Romans vi. 23. 'I give unto 
them eternal life.' John x. 23. 

(16) ' Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an exam- 
ple, that we should follow his steps.' 1 Peter ii. 21. 
< If any man serve me, let him follow me.' John xii. 
26. ' If any man will come after me, let him deny 
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.' 
Luke ix. 23. 

C17) ' God hath called us to peace.' 1 Corinthians, 
vii. 15. ' Follow peace with all men.' 2 Timothy, ii. 
22. ' Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto 
you.' John xiv. 27. 

(18J ' If children, then heirs : heirs of God, and joint- 
heirs with Christ. For as many as are led by the Spirit 
of God, they are the sons of God.' Romans viii. 14, 
17. ' Behold, what manner of love the Father hath be- 
stowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of 
God !' 1 John iii. 1. 'That ye may be blameless and 
harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst 
of a crooked and perverse nation*' Philippians ii. 15. 



43 

It is to be all prayer and praise, 

Not in set form or phrase expressed, 
But ceaseless as angelic lays — 

This, only this, is christian rest ! 
He who, believing, hath obtained 

This REST, shall ne'er be troubled more, 
Thougli round him lions, fierce, unchained, 

For his destruction rage and roar ! 
He may be famishing for bread. 

Or be of men the jest and mirth. 
And have no where to lay his head, 

No spot to call his own on earth ; 
Temptation, with its endless wiles. 

May strive to turn his feet aside — 
And Flattery, with its treacherous smiles, 

May hope to flush some latent pride ; 
He may be hunted as a beast — 

As heretic dragged to the stake — 
Placed on the rack Revenge to feast. 

And Bigotry's fierce wrath to slake ; 
Or whether earth or hell assail, 

It matters not — v/ithin his breast 
Is joy, is peace, that cannot fail — 

Nought shall destroy his christian rest ! 

WM. LLOYD GARRISON. 



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